Re-issued or Counter-signed
Kirtland Notes
On January 6, 1849 Church
officials decided to countersign and re-issue these notes at par, because this
could be done quickly and inexpensively. The notes were backed 80 percent by
the gold dust in the treasury, as were the valley notes. This action fulfilled
the prophecy by Jospeh Smith, Jr., “ . . . that one day the Kirtland Safety
Society notes would be as good as gold!”
. . .
The ”Anti-Counter” Kirtland notes
are the “Holy Grail” of Kirtland banknotes. Of the notes that have both the Anti-Banking
modification and having been countersigned for use in Salt Lake City, only a
handful of all denominations survive. They are rarely offered for sale, and
most are tightly held in private collections. The total number of specimens
encompassing all three denominations encompassing all three denominations ($1,
$2, and $3) is 13-18, and most have been well circulated. Presently there are
no known uncirculated examples, and even an “XF/AU” specimen may not exist.
The following table will show the
scarcity and collectability of the Kirtland countersigned notes. As of this writing
there are over 60 countersigned notes in the census. This is a popular method
for collecting Kirtland notes however it is much more difficult and also very
expensive. Most desirable countersigned notes will exceed $10,000, these notes are
also probably the most desirable of the Kirtland notes due to the number of
significant signatures on each note. In addition to the two original signatures
on the note, four additional people signed the note for re-issuance in Salt
Lake City:
·
Brigham Young
·
Heber C. Kimball
·
N. K.
Whitney
·
Thomas Bullock (Initials TB only)
The fact that they circulated in
Kirtland Ohio from a bank without a charter and made their way to Salt Lake
City where they were re-signed and re-issued, is in itself, against all odds of
survival. Additionally, the countersigned notes were backed by gold from
California, fulfilling Joseph Smith’s prophecy that the “Kirtland banknotes
would someday be as good as gold.”
|
$1.00 |
15-20 |
|
$2.00 |
10-15 |
|
$3.00 |
8-12 |
|
$5.00 |
40-45 |
|
$10.00 |
15-20 |
Table #12
Estimated number of surviving Kirtland counter-
signed banknotes. (Douglas A. Nyholm, Mormon Currency, 1837-1937: The Best
Book on U.S. Currency for 2010 [2d ed.; 2015], Location 1292-1296, 1387-1411
of 9728, Kindle ed.)
Further Reading:
Mormonr/B. H. Roberts Foundation, Kirtland Safety
Society (cf. Primary
Sources)
Resources
on Joseph Smith’s Prophecies (e.g.,
